Lasting Impression

A portrait by Nicolai Fechin led Hindman’s September 27 American and European Art Auction to a more than $2.36 million total

Hindman hosted its fall fine art auctions to much fanfare with more than $7.5 million realized across three days. Kicking off the excitement was the September 27 American & European Art auction that had solid bidding activity and yielded $2,367,563 for the day.
“I thought the auction was great. We continued to see solid results across basically all our fine art categories, and this was no exception,” says Joseph Stanfield, Hindman’s director of fine art. He adds that there were plenty of new bidders and collectors from around the world participating online.Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955), Study of a Woman (Portrait of Elena Konstantinovna Luksch-Makowsky), ca. 1906-8. Oil on canvas, 41½ x 28 in., signed upper right: ‘N Fechin’. Estimate: $600/800,000 SOLD: $680,000

A mix of American and European offerings, the sale’s top lot was a beautiful portrait by Nicolai Fechin titled Study of a Woman (Portrait of Elena Konstantinovna Luksch-Makowsky) (est. $600/800,000). “We had almost exclusively international interest on the painting,” says Stanfield. “He’s an artist that has sold in the American sales, but was born in Russia and this was made during that time. We had just Russian interest on this particular work.” It achieved a robust $680,000.

There were plenty of surprises in the sale including Martha Walter’s At the Beach, which achieved $125,000 against an estimate of $25,000 to $35,000. “We ended up having seven phone bidders on the painting, and that was a pleasant surprise for me and my colleagues,” shares Stanfield.Martha Walter (1875-1976), At the Beach. Oil on canvas, 21¼ x 26 in., signed lower right: ‘Martha Walter’. Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $125,000

The fourth highest achieving lot of the day was Mitchell Siporin’s End of an Era (est. $15/25,000). Stanfield says, “It was the highest auction estimate ever for a work by the artist, and the reason for that was we thought it was the best, and you can’t say that often.” The Siporin sold for $62,500, a new auction record for the artist.Mitchell Siporin (1910-1976), End of an Era, 1946. Oil on canvas, 52 x 40 in., signed and dated lower right: ‘Mitchell Siporin’. Artist World Auction Record. Estimate: $15/25,000 SOLD: $62,500Regionalist artwork was also sought after by collectors including a work by Alfred Sessler, which sold for $13,750 against an estimate of $2,000 to $4,000. It set an auction record for the artist’s work. Three paintings by William Samuel Schwartz found buyers, with the top two being Island Church (est. $5/7,000) at $15,000 and The Plower (est. $2/4,000) at $18,750.

Other sale highlights were Marvin Cone’s Cook’s Barn No. 2 (est. $50/70,000) at $55,000; Ivan Albright’s Troubled Waves (Silence) at $34,375; and Wolf Kahn’s The Deserted Farm House, which came in at its high estimate of $20,000. —

Top 10 Sales
Hindman, American & European Art, September 27, 2021 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High ESt. SOLD
Nicolai Fechin Study of a Woman $600/800,000 $680,000
Pierre-Auguste Renoir Les Fleurs $100/150,000 $400,000
Martha Walter At the Beach $25/35,000 $125,000
Mitchell Siporin End of an Era $15/25,000 $62,500
Sonia Delaunay Self-Portrait $20/30,000 $56,250
Marvin Cone Cook’s Barn No. 2 $50/70,000 $55,000
Gustave Camille Gaston Cariot Crépuscule, lever de lune sur le pont Neuf $25/35,000 $53,125
Celso Lagar Scene au Cirque $6/8,000 $46,875
Lê Pho Les Poppies $7/9,000 $43,750
Ivan Albright Troubled Waves (Silence) $30/50,000 $34,375